A large party had erupted last night as a kind of leaving do
for five lads who’d been guesting here for 10 days. Thankfully the only
disturbance we noticed was a random lad coming into our room in the early
hours, slowly making his way towards the bed as Corrie uttered a scared whine
alerting Danny to turn over and see the lad reaching out towards the bed. The
guy noticed Dan and seemed to come to, exclaiming “Sorry sorry sorry” as he
backed out of the room! Thankfully he was one of the lads leaving later on!
The heavens opened and the morning and early afternoon were
dominated with showers and so we were stuck indoors until about 14:00. Luckily
the staff here really do make an effort and try to make you feel welcome; often
plonking themselves down beside you to ask how you are and what you’re up to
etc.
After the rain we decided to ask one of the guys to show us
the quickest way to the other side of the island. He led us through another
backpackers place and some of the island village, up over a hill and then
directed us to make our way down the other side and we’d reach a beach from
where we’d be able to follow the coast back around to the hostel. We emerged
onto a gorgeous beach and completed the lovely walk back around to our accommodation,
reflecting on Fiji as we went. We both agreed that we’d started to get into the
Fiji way and didn’t feel so isolated from it now. We also talked about the very
simple lives out on the islands, along with the very basic accommodation for
the locals who inhabit them. Later this evening we would witness a child
pulling along a smaller toddler who sat in a decapitated plastic container like
a sledge through the sand. It’s this simplicity that really brings home how
insignificant a lot of modern technologies and fashions etc are; along with how
spoilt and ungrateful most children are
in developed countries – we had a rant!
After tea we were treated to a kava drinking ceremony in the
traditional Fijian way. Kava, not being a fizzy wine as we both thought, but a
drink that comes in a powdered, almost dust-like in appearance, substance in
small bags. We all gathered around a large wooden kava bowl and one of the guys
produced a sock-like pouch to which he added a few bags of the ground roots
before the bowl was filled with water. The pouch was submerged and seemed to
act as a filter for the cava as the water began to rapidly change from clear to
a very murky looking, brown fluid. It did just look like dirty water but we
weren’t going to be rude and so watched as he explained the method of drinking.
Each of us would be offered a coconut cupful of the liquid and, before we took
it we would clap once and say “Bula” (greeting) and then must down it all (it’s
considered rude otherwise.) We would then clap three times and hand the shell
cup back. We both agreed on one thing: kava is pretty nasty, really just
tasting like you’d imagine a muddy puddle to taste, with grainy bits an’ all!
It would appear that everyone else echoed this thought… including the Fijians!
After this and some card games we went to bed, rather sad to
be leaving this friendly place, though glad at the same time that we’d be going
just along the beach to a luxury resort in the morning!
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